Tribune Opinion: Greeley can offer an example to Evans leaders in wake of election night defeat

Adrien Mutchler holds a "Slow" sign as he helps direct traffic while construction crews put the final touches on a road expansion project along 20th Street in west Greeley. (2017 Tribune file photo | The Greeley Tribune)

We know Tuesday’s election results disappointed Evans city leaders.

Officials had hoped voters would approve a 1 percent sales tax hike to generate $2.8 million for road repairs and maintenance.

The defeat means, for now, Evans will have to do what it can with what it has.

And there is work to do. The city's streets rank 58 out of 100 on the pavement condition index, a system used by cities to determine the condition of their streets.

For now, Evans City Manager Jim Becklenberg said, the city is going to do the best it can with the $600,000 set aside in the city's general fund for road maintenance. In 2019, the city will use more than $1 million in grant funding to help resurface 37th Street.

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That’s a good start. Beyond that, though, the future holds possibilities. In fact, those in Evans who understand the value of investing in their city need look no further than their neighbor to the north for an example of what may be possible.

Greeley residents aren’t known to be fans of taxes. And, like voters in Evans, they’ve struck down their fair share of tax measures. Still, Greeley leaders have steadily built trust with voters, communicated clearly with constituents and delivered on their promises. We’re sure that has something to do with why voters overwhelmingly approved to tax measures in Greeley on Tuesday.

Those measures — ballot issues 2O and 2P — reauthorized taxes to pay for quality of life improvements in Greeley, as well as public safety improvements.

To be fair, there is a difference between voting to approve a new tax — as Evans residents were asked to do — and voting to continue and existing tax. Still, the support for 2O and 2P comes just three years after Greeley residents voted for a tax hike to pay for road maintenance.

The lesson, we think, is that voters will invest in their community when they trust that the investment will pay dividends in the form of a stronger city. We would encourage Evans officials to stay the course.

Under the leadership of Mayor Brian Rudy and Becklenberg, city officials already have done much to build trust with their voters. We think if they continue on this path and ask voters again they’ll likely see positive results.